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Turn off automatic updater prior to installing Firefox.

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  • 2 have this problem
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  • Last reply by cor-el

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I am about to deploy firefox to about 100 XP machines. I would like to turn off the Firefox automatic updater function prior to the install to the machine. I need to control what version of Firefox each user has.

I am about to deploy firefox to about 100 XP machines. I would like to turn off the Firefox automatic updater function prior to the install to the machine. I need to control what version of Firefox each user has.

All Replies (3)

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You can use a mozilla.cfg file in the Firefox program folder to lock prefs or specify new default values.

Place a file local-settings.js in the defaults\pref folder where you also find the file channel-prefs.js to specify using mozilla.cfg.

pref("general.config.filename", "mozilla.cfg");
pref("general.config.obscure_value", 0); // use this to disable the byte-shift

See:

You can use these functions in mozilla.cfg:

defaultPref();  // set new default value
pref();         // set pref, but allow changes in current session
lockPref();     // lock pref, disallow changes
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Let's see If I understand your reply; 1st create a local-settings.js file and put it in the Mozilla firefox\defaults\pref folder.

It would have the following settings;
pref ("general.config.filename", "mozilla.cfg");
pref ("general.config.obscure_value", 0);

2nd create create a mozilla.cfg file and put it in the root folder c:\program files\Mozilla Firefox In this file what value tells the auto update to turn off?

defaultPref () ; // ?

pref (); // set pref, but allow changes in current sesson

lockPref () ; // lock pref, disallow changes

So once this is done save both files to there respective locations and restart Firefox?

Then I would need to create a batch file that would copy these files to the correct location?

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The mozilla.cfg file needs to start with a line that only contains a comment (//)

You can copy lines from prefs.js to the mozilla.cfg file and change the function name to what you want to use the pref for.

//
lock_pref("app.update.auto", false);
lock_pref("app.update.enabled", false);